Rothacker Reviews

Can a commercial be too good?

Can a commercial be too good? It can if you thought it was so good you couldn't remember what product or service was being advertised.

There are three actors in this video. Each plays their role to perfection. But the look on the girl's face who didn't get the real pony is priceless.

Sick? Change Your Toothbrush

I was cutting out coupons this morning when I came across a Colgate ad. It said, "Got a cold? Change your toothbrush after a cold for a fresh start." This seems like such common sense that I must have heard it from someone at least once over the course of my life. I haven't. 

I did a quick Google search and found it has been a topic of discussion, but not as frequently as one might think. Another bit of advice that makes sense; microwave your toothbrush a couple of times per week. 

Well, I feel pretty good about this newly discovered info, but it prompts a question:

What product, service or thing do we interact with often, that if viewed from a different perspective, would produce an all together different result?

"David."

"Yes Rosemary."

"Did you read the article about the benefits of changing your underwear everyday?"

"No. You've got to be kidding! People really do that? Tawwssss me that tbt* when you're done."

The Rise of the Real Mom & How Dads Can Help

So easy, even a caveman can do it.

The Rise of the Real Mom is a white paper published by Advertising Age, written by Marissa Miley and Ann Mack. I found this paper and an excellent summary of it at Michele Miller's site Wonder Branding. I discovered Michele at Roy Williams' site the Wizard of Ads when Roy began to partner with talented marketing folks like Michele a few years back. Michele's review and link to a free download of The Rise of the Real Mom.

When I was a manager and needed to learn more about Gen Y & Gen X, I studied websites like Brazen Careerist. Penelope Trunk and her crew teach the younger gens how to build and nurture a network of trusted peers. And, they teach these folks how to optimize their experiences with older people like myself. So in essence, I went undercover to learn.

To become a better hiring manager I studied Richard Nelson Bolles' book What Color is Your Parachute? Richard gives job seekers advice on career building and how to get jobs. I went undercover again.

Married dads with kids, consider going undercover to learn more about your wives...

Married dads with children, would you like to better understand your significant other? Take a break from the relationship gurus. Listening to a relationship guru is like Bear Grylls telling you that you can be just like him. You know Bear Grylls from Man vs. Wild, right? You could do what Bear does, if you had his gear, right? Riiiight! Just like you could be the head hunk author in a book titled, How I conquered 20,000 Women by 20, right? Yeah riiiiight! So, put the guru on hold and think about what you can learn, looking at it from a different point of view.

The survey and author's aim is to focus on how marketers can change their strategies to more effectively communicate with women, particularly those between the ages of 18-44. (Don't be distracted by just this age group, common sense will tell you it's applicable to most moms). The data is the result of more pragmatic, business-like questions and less emotional ones. As you read through this business-like report, you can't help but feel the cold, harsh realities that women are up against. If you care about your wife, the answers for how to better communicate with her and how to make her life easier, will permeate your conscious.

Sure a caveman can do it. Now how about you!?

btw, I love the Brazen Careerist web site and still visit often and I am now on my third edition of What Color is Your Parachute? (bought first in 1981).

FreeCreditReport.com Guy

Monica Hesse of the Washington Post refers to the FreeCreditReport.com commercials as maddeningly catchy ads.  This was the first time* I had read or heard anyone talk about these ads.  I love them.

For someone to notice and then like a commercial, there must be something that they connect with.  I can see where some women might be attracted:  Catchy tune, cute guy.  Or maybe someone with little ambition:  "I'm not working, I'm just going to play music."  Or maybe the guy who thinks his wife nags him:  "Get a haircut and get a real job." 

I like the commercials because the tunes are catchy and because the FreeCreditReport.com guy represents freedom and someone who is enduring obstacles along life's path while pursuing their passion.  That's it.

*I originally saw the article in the TBT.  I love the TBT and wanted to give them recognition for running the story(guess I just did guys).  But because I am the only person on the planet who newspaper search engines will not work for, I found the original story in the Washington Post...by way of Google...their search engine couldn't produce the story either.

Purple Cows Don't Age

Services that are worth talking about get talked about

Seth Godin wrote this statement in his 2002 book titled Purple Cow. This one sentence is the very essence of the book.  One could design their entire company around this one sentence.  These words of wisdom will never become outdated.  At one point in your life, you must read Seth's book.  Period.

Pic of cow from dcbprime on Flickr

Escape From Cubicle Nation

Escape From Cubicle Nation is your personal key to freedom!  Like a weary soul who scraped, clawed and crawled his way across the desert in search of water, I smoked Pamela Slim's most excellent book in search of liberation.  From the tiny molecule in my soul who is standing atop the mountain screaming "no more bosses!" to my entire and collective soul who is getting dry heaves even thinking about Monday mornings, I simply cannot make a more heart felt and direct recommendation: Buy Pam's book today!

Escape From Cubicle Nation is a treasure and as such, I will dip in and review parts of this book with care and reverence.  I will treat it like a fine wine or a seminal Clint Eastwood classic, to be sipped and reveled upon.

Visit Pam's new format at Escape From Cubicle Nation for more info.

Tribes

Tribes by Seth Godin.

Scuse me a moment.  Note to my Mom: Seth Godin is a business book author who recognized over a decade ago, that present day marketing was no longer working, consumers instead of marketers had the power and ideas and products could spread like wildfire if they were remarkable. Seth has a rare gift.  He has the ability to talk and write about exactly what we are about to think about.  Of course his words help that about come about faster.  How about that Mom?

Thanks.  My Mom is the only person in the developed world who doesn't know who Seth is.

Jeepers dave.  You love Seth Godin and your own Mom doesn't know who he is.  Malcolm would frown buddy.

Seth: "A Tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea."

Tribes was published in 2008 and already there is a mountain of information and reviews out there that splash brilliant neon color on Seth's most excellent dialog.  Here are two: 1. 2.

Seth defined Tribes on page one and for the entire book I could only think about one thing - a tribe that I belong to.  We are a group of people, connected to our leader and connected by a love of learning.  Seth's book made me feel real good about belonging to Joyful Jubilant Learning. 

Seth says that it is his job to make us feel uncomfortable enough that we are not doing something and to start looking for opportunities in front of us and find a pathway to get there.

A great start is to buy the lad's book...today!

Beyond Trend

Beyond Trend by Matt Mattus

Beyond Trend is laced with a passion for design.  It is sooooo inspiring!  Like little kids grow up and want to be police and firemen, after reading Matt's book (three times now), I want to be a designer!  If I were involved in an association for designers, I'd make Beyond Trend required reading for members.  If I owned a company that used designers and caught them reading Beyond Trend, I'd promote them.  Okay, that last one's a stretch.  But their value in my eyes sure would increase.

The business world today is paying attention to the wink of design leaders.  "Pssst guys!  Get on board.  Good design will capture your customer's heart and soul."  Whether you have companies that truly get the benefits of design or companies led by CEO's who have a vague idea of what design is: "Bob, I think there is something to this design thing.  Create a design department.  Stick it between the mailroom and accounting."...the field is opening wide up.  While more people are filling creative roles, the creative work-output is growing exponentially and growing exponentially vanilla.  An overabundance of design and an overabundance of sameness.  Matt:

...it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell a Target TV ad from a Sears ad.

Moving beyond trend is Matt's answer to his own question: "In an over-designed world, how does a designer design?"  How one gets there is what this book is all about.

Basically, Matt's book is written to and for designers, those in the trenches trying to crank out new and creative work.  But he sneaks in a chapter devoted to their bosses.  It is pure gold.  In very clear and concise terms, Matt delineates between the two styles of companies I reference above. 

There is one really strong theme that courses through Matt's work.  It is the foundation and framework for moving beyond trend.  It begins with a passion for design.  And it ends with the ability to explain your output.  What informed us?  Why did it?  And where did this influence come from?  Matt asks:

How can you problem solve, or create "new," or "get it" (and help others "get it") if you never did in the first place?

The ability of a designer to move beyond trend is directly related to the work that they put in between the passion part and the explanation part.  Matt guides the student of design here with a carefully created map on how to get there and how to become a culture creator at the same time.

Matt designed this book himself and infuses brilliant pictures, illustration and art to help tell his story. 

I smoked-n-signed Beyond Trend.  It is one of the best books I've ever read!

"Jeepers dave, that's a pretty strong statement!"

You know why I feel so strongly about this book?  Because I think it's not only a recipe for designers to elevate their game above status-quo, but it will also help other creatives like artists and writers!!

David Ogilvy on Advertising

Do you own a small business?  Have you figured out how to make it successful?  Did a person, Web site, seminar, book or course help you?  Did your brother-in-law help you?  Chances are you didn't have the luxury of striking it rich in one brilliant move.  You had to build your business through hard work, grit, determination and the ability to filter every Tom, Dick and Harry's opinion as to how you should run your business.  You did say your brother-in-law's name is Dick, didn't you?

Perhaps today you might consider the opinion of David, an advertising man.  He helped a few companies sell their products and become successful.  You might be familiar with some of them; Campbell Soup Company, Rolls Royce, General Foods, Shell, IBM, Merrill Lynch, etc.  In the world of advertising, David Ogilvy was an icon.  David passed away in 1999, but his legend lives on along with his words.  You need to pick up his book Ogilvy on Advertising. It isn't a textbook, it is a conversation.  I've read the book twice now and I feel as if David and I are sitting in a cherry wood paneled library in two big plush leather chairs looking out over a snow-filled meadow while a fire roars in the fireplace.  He talks to me about advertising and selling products while knocking the residual tobacco from his pipe.

"Wait a minute Dave, the companies that David worked with are all really big companies.  Mine isn't."

Ok, let me guess.  Your brother-in-law knows a printer.  He got you a good deal on printing out a flier.  You mailed a few out.  Or you recently bought Advertising for Dummies.  You are trying to follow it step by step.  Or you know that you should be advertising, so you ask Joe who owns the pool cleaning company.  Joe tells you.  But you're not sure if he understands the difference between pool filters and pepperoni pizza.  Or you listen blindly to the girl who sells ad space for the Neighborhood Newspaper cause you'd like to date her.  By the way, just how much business are you getting out of that ad?

The point is your advertising isn't working.  You either have to do it yourself or hire a company that works with small businesses. Ultimately you should hire the company.  Either way, David will guide you through the process.  But there is a catch.  This book isn't for every small business owner.  It is only for those with an open enough mind to carry on a conversation with a dead ad guy...albeit a charming and wise dead ad guy.  You see, David isn't only going to enlighten you about advertising, if you're open enough, he'll help you build the very core of your business.

"Dave, I ran over to Amazon and ordered up a copy.  It came yesterday.  Dude, this book is written for advertising people."

Well, yes it is.  Here, take this can of WD-40 and shoot a couple drops on the hinges of your mind.  Now, shake each leg a bit and straighten out your underwear.  Good.  Listen up.  Yes David's book was targeted for the field of advertising.  Published in 1983, he writes about getting a job in the business, running an agency, how to advertise for foreign travel and how to make TV commercials.  He also writes about how to produce advertising that sells, direct mail, how to get clients, research, competing with Proctor and Gamble, and six legends who went before him in the industry.  It is mostly in the last group where the treasure for small business owners can be found.  But you will only hear David's sage bits of wisdom if you pretend he is trying to help you run your business.

I know, I know, you're too busy trying to run your business to play pretend.  But if you made it this far here today, try this out...

You hire someone local to do your advertising.  It could be the girl who sells ad space for the neighborhood paper or someone who will design your ad or an agency geared for small business.  Now, listen to what David has to say about his internal operation:

"I never assign a product to a writer unless I know that he is personally interested in it."

As an Advertising Director, he never assigns a product to a writer unless he knows that the writer is personally interested in the product.  Now here's where you have to pretend.  David to you:

"Carol, does Bob the guy who is writing copy for your print advertisement, know anything about you or your products?  Matter of fact, does he use your products?"

See what I mean?

Ok, click on the link here, buy a copy of Ogilvy on Advertising and get ready to help market your business!

Trends: Trendwatching

Do you have unopened e-mail newsletters in your inbox?

"Well, errrr, yeah dave, I do."

And those are the ones that you allow into your inbox, aren't they?

"Yeah man, I just don't have time to read them.  But you know, I do pick one or two off every so often."

Do you use Google's GMail?

"daaaaave, I see where you're going with this...."

I let approximately ten e-mail newsletters through my front gate each week and a half dozen more per month.  I read one.  I need to prune two or three from this list. For the balance though, I lean on Google's search capability in my GMail account. 

"dave, that sounds good on paper dude, but how often do you really bring up old e-mail newsletters?"

Not often.  But let me tell you about how a person at a company that sends these newsletters broke through the din of white noise marketing and helped me out.  Michell Zappa, a trend analyst at Trendwatching.com, sent me an e-mail.  Her company noticed that I hadn't opened up their Trend Briefing monthly newsletter for quite a while.  Her concern was two-fold.  One, perhaps my junk mail folder was scarfing up the briefings and I wasn't getting any, and two, perhaps I really didn't want to receive them anymore.  In that case I could opt out and they wouldn't bother me anymore.

Now, of course Michell didn't personally send me this e-mail.  But the thought and gesture pegged out the dave "that's different" meter.  It was so Amazonian.  It meant enough for me to reply back and thank them for their concern.  Janna van Hasselt, from client services did personally reply back to me and thanked me for my note.

Guess what.  A few days later I opened the latest briefing and read it.  Man am I  glad that I did!  If you appreciate knowing what makes consumers do what they do, the pulse of business today, the various economy-related cultures and design (because their briefing is of most excellent design), then sign up for a Trend Briefing of your own today!